This invention relates to Automated Voting Systems and more particularly to a system for verifying registered voters and collecting and tabulating votes from a single or a plurality of voting mechanisms.
As is well known, and has been set forth by the political pundits and the electorate, voter privacy and the requirement of security i.e. that the ballots all be verified and be counted accurately with no ballots which have not been correctly filled out to be counted. One method is providing security at the voting site with voter poll watchers. This has been the traditional method of providing for the accuracy and authenticity of the vote and the voting results.
The use of authorized voting personnel to verify each voters name and verify that they are the person whom they represent to be from a master list of registered voters and providing a paper ballot to the voter has worked well in the past. However, this procedure is slow by today""s standards and there is the potential for inaccurate counting and/or having ballots which have not been properly filled out counted. Verification systems must maintain the privacy of the voter so that names are not associated with the ballots once the ballots have been issued to the voters or voted by voter.
Another method of casting ballots is the use of mechanical devices to present the voters selection, after verification i.e. a ballot form adjacent the mechanical levers. Another method of casting ballots is for the voter to punch holes in a computer card where each hole represents a certain candidate or issue on the ballot. The cards are then machine read and votes tabulated.
These methods have disadvantages and they may be potentially inaccurate, i.e. the vote may not be registered in the case of the mechanical lever for some mechanical reason or the cards with the punched holes provide no way for a voter to change their minds.
With the requirement in some voting districts that the ballots including any local issues be in a different language i.e. Spanish or some other language. An automated system which will automatically on command present the ballots in the required language would be useful.
Several automated voting systems have been used wherein computers have aided in the gathering and counting of the votes. Two U.S. patents which describe automated voting systems are U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,665 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,218,528. These patents describe systems wherein there is either a number of precinct or local stations voting work stations for tabulating the votes and a central work station for controlling the programming and tabulating at the precinct stations.
This invention overcomes many of the problems associated with the traditional methods of voting including prior electronic voting systems while maintaining all the advantages of the prior systems. This invention includes the vote entry station, which incorporates an integrated computer program with an integrated pointing device with graphical user interface for displaying the ballots or issues on a screen. The vote entry station incorporates all requisite functions and is unitary and self standing. The programmed vote entry station has an electronic keypad/keyboard for display and entry of write-in candidates. It also permits the voting for more than one write-in candidate, if allowed.
In addition, the program protects from overvotes while allowing voters to change their vote prior to casting. The program contained in the voting device at the vote entry station, either a single unit or multiple units permits tracking the number of votes cast by each unit and the entry station displays the count.
Advantages of this system also include the fact that the voting entry stations are capable of being programmed by one or more election workers to provide all voter entry stations with multiple ballot screens and styles. The voter can select the language to be displayed on the ballots. The vote entry station is activated by at least one activation code entered by the election workers to prevent fraud.
There may also be an election unit in data communication with the vote entry station to provide information and verification of such things as the voter authorization code, verification of the voter registration data. This unit may also be programmed to verify voter signature, voter fingerprints, voter voice print, voter eye print and can also update voter history.
Advantages of this voter system include the ability to have an automated voting system which comprises either a single voting device which will perform all of the functions described above or utilizing the identical voting device as a host or control unit so that various voting stations may be controlled from one unit. The voting system is controlled by authorization codes which verify voter approval, utilizes election security cards to verify and activate the operation of the voter system equipment. The equipment is not operable except by the use of the proper election security card which usually is provided in sealed envelopes by the election authority.
Each individual one of these vote entry stations provides for data communication between the stations and between the stations and any central vote collection storage unit. In addition, this election device provides for the automatic printing or separate printer on hard copy of test results to verify the accuracy and of the final tabulation of the votes.